9/28 - Western Conference Power Rankings 2

St. Louis' game against the Red Bulls was postponed due to weather, but you can't argue with the run that they are on right now. After not being able to score at the start of the season, they have now scored 18 goals in their last 6 games across all competitions. This includes their 3-0 victory over the Rapids in the US Open Cup semifinals that booked them a trip to Columbus for the finals. This team's magical run has them in a good spot to win at least 1 trophy this season.

Don't look now, but suddenly FC Dallas is just three points behind the Whitecaps for first place in the Western Conference, although Vancouver does have a game in hand. This comes off the back of 6 wins in their last 9 since Leagues Cup, including 10 points from their last 4 games. This past weekend, when they were without Petar Musa, they relied on their dominant defense to defeat a depleted LAFC team. Their 1-0 victory came courtesy of a goal from Osaze Urhoghide, who has been one of the best defenders in the league this year. Dallas might not be the prettiest team, but they are stacking points and remain one of the hottest teams in the MLS.

Every time it seems like the Whitecaps look like the team that we got used to last season, they stutter. Over the past 2 weeks, they beat Real Salt Lake 3-0 on the road in a dominant display, but then followed it up with a 3-3 draw against DC United. Now, the international break affects every team differently, but DC were without DP strikers Tai Baribo and Louis Munteanu. However, the biggest loss in this game was probably Andrés Cubas. The Paraguayan is essential to Vancouver's ability to control games. Without him, they haven't been as effective asserting their high-intensity counter press which is so good at maintaining wave after wave of pressure for the 'Caps. Oh, and they also got bounced by Eastern Conference basement dwellers CF Montreal in the Canadian Championship, ending their dynasty in that competition.

San Jose are now undefeated in their last 6. Judd is scoring again, Munie continues to have a stellar year, and the Quakes are now up to 3rd in the Western Conference. Their upturn in form has coincided with Bruce Arena switching to a back 3 system. This has solidified a team that was shipping goals at will during the summer. It also comes with Tsakiris returning to health and Löwen's addition to the team. Those two midfielders provide so much quality and creativity in possession for San Jose, who are looking to finish the year the way they began.

Houston are missing Jack McGlynn. His brilliant left foot was crucial in their build up play as well as chance creation in the final third. They now have just 1 win in their last 7 and are in danger of losing a home playoff position. The good news for them is that Lyle Foster made his first appearance for the club late against Sporting Kansas City. If Ben Olsen can get something going in attack, they will be a scary team going forward because they are always solid defensively.

Austin are now unbeaten in 8 matches as they look to climb their way into the playoffs. There have been a lot of draws in that time, but the Verde & Black have shown they're a difficult team to beat. Both results in the last couple weeks were draws, but they were credible ones. Getting an away point against Copa Tejas rivals is good work, and this weekend they mounted an unbelievable comeback, scoring three goals in the last 20 minutes to get a point against San Diego. More wins are needed to make up ground on the pack, but vibes are high and performances are good in Austin.

Back to back wins have the Seattle Sounders into the play-in game. They also have a game in hand over most teams in the west, including 2 over both teams from Los Angeles. The caveat is that their wins came at home against the struggling RSL and Minnesota United. However, all playoff teams collect their points at home and beat the teams that they are supposed to. It's not just that though: their players are getting healthy again. Cristian Roldan's return to the team has been crucial for them, and Yeimar and Ragen are both getting minutes now. There is good reason to be optimistic if you are a Sounders fan.

Perhaps the biggest sign of LAFC's struggles is that head coach Marc Dos Santos was fired last night. Their poor run of form of late reflects what has been apparent all season long: this team lacks the ability to break down a low block and relies on individual moments of brilliance from Denis Bouanga or David Martinez. Their defense has been exceptional this season, but since the departure of David Martínez, their offense has been too one dimensional. The good news for LAFC is that 4 of their last 6 games are at home. If they can use this international window to reset and take advantage of their home games, they are still set up to be a strong team in the playoffs.

LA have won twice in a row. Last time they did that was early October, 2025. These back to back wins have come at a good time for the Galaxy. They had been picking up points at a play-in game clip, so they've given themselves some breathing room with a come from behind win against Colorado. With a 4 point cushion on the teams below the line, LA Galaxy have put themselves in a decent position to make the playoffs this season.

Colorado's last 2 weeks did not go as planned: They got eliminated from US Open Cup conention in the semifinals and surrendered 2 goal leads in both their MLS games. After worries about their attack, they have now conceded 3 goals in back to back to back games. They badly miss Herrington in defense. The good news is that newcomers Whittaker looked great against the Sounders and Aaronson was brilliant against the Galaxy. Now, Colorado just needs to put it all together and they should be able to make the playoffs.

Portland fell to the Earthquakes in an open 1-3 loss this weekend. This marks 3 straight losses for the flailing Timbers, who are now sitting on the outside of the playoff picture. Save for one game against Minnesota, Vincent Janssen has not been the answer up top. But the most devastating news from Portland in the past week was the loss of Finn Surman to a knee injury. Surman has consistently been one of the best center backs in the entire league since his arrival, and his stoic defensive presence is going to be sorely missed by a Portland side that loves to send numbers forward.

San Diego are nose diving. A couple weeks ago, they looked like a team that was going to finally round into form and separate themselves from the bottom of the West. Now, they're winless in 5, including a gut-wrenching draw in Austin. So much has changed from a year ago, including the team's shape. They've shifted to a 3-4-3 to right the ship, but it hasn't really worked. Back to the drawing board for Mikey Varas.

Salt Lake picked up a cathartic win at home against the Revs, putting to an end their 12 match winless drought in the league. It's a win that breathes life into a team that looked dead in the water a couple days ago. RSL are in 11th, just 3 points below the line. They still need to fix their defensive posture, and Solans needs help in attack, but this team is all of a sudden is right back in the fight.

Is there reason for hope in Kansas City? Sporting look like a much better team than they were earlier in the season, picking up 2 wins from their last 3 matches. A lot of this comes from star winger André Luiz, who now has 4 goals and 1 assist in just 3 starts for the club. There were some question marks about his price tag, but so far the returns are overwhelmingly positive. Plus, Owen Wolff made his first appearance for SKC against the Union. Both players should be part of the foundation of this evolving Kansas City team.

Minnesota's season has cratered out. They've lost 5 straight matches, conceding 17 goals in that span, and are now 6 points behind 9th place Seattle. Their underlying numbers are among the best in the conference, but their inability to execute at the start of the season and now their inability to defend has them in 14th in the West. If they want any chance of playoff soccer in 2026, they need to start winning at home.